YouTube Star Chester See To Topline ABC Family Dramedy From Maker Studios

Actor-musician Chester See, whose YouTube channel has 1.6 million subscribers, is heading to traditional media withOver The Top, a dramedy series project set up at ABC Family. See is set to star in the project, which he will write and executive produce with John Strauss (Mozart In The Jungle, There’s Something About Mary) through Maker Studios. This is believed to be the first scripted Maker project for a Disney TV network since Disney’s acquisition of the online video company.

Originally announced at Maker Studios’ 2014 newfront, Over The Top is based on See’s real-life experiences and features him as a struggling artist trying to make a name for himself in the L.A. music scene. After a record deal fizzles and his hopes of stardom fall apart, he takes to YouTube and starts building a massive audience. In the vein of Entourage and Silicon Valley, the series documents the trials, tribulations and triumphs of becoming a digital star. At the end of every episode, See or one of his co-stars — including other YouTubers with their own followings — would set up a camera and start recording a song or something else, which can immediately be found on Facebook or YouTube. Viewers also would be able to follow the characters’ adventures on Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat.

See’s original music has earned 1 million downloads on iTunes, and he’s been nominated for six Streamy awards. Last year, he took home the Best Original Song trophy for “Whistle While I Work It.”

Former Disney 365 host See previously made the transition from the web to TV with Side Effects, a series that debuted on AwesomenessTV before migrating to E! See, repped by WME and Levine Management, also played rock star Stacee Jaxx in Broadway’s Rock Of Ages in 2014.